Wilberforce Primary News

Exceptional Ofsted report for Wilberforce Primary

Pupils and staff at Wilberforce Primary in Queen’s Park are celebrating a superb Ofsted report. Not only did inspectors remove the school from Special Measures, they also raised it two categories and judged it to be ‘Good’ with many ‘Outstanding’ features.

Following a two-day visit to the school, which is part of United Learning, at the end of last term, the inspectors gave the primary school a glowing report overflowing with praise for the new initiatives which have been introduced to raise standards across the school.

The inspectors were very impressed with what they found and said that the school had been ‘successfully transformed’ since the previous inspection. They praised every aspect of the school including the curriculum, behaviour, attendance, communication with parents, governance and SEN provision.

The inspectors were particularly impressed with pupils’ personal development, behaviour and welfare which they judged as ‘Outstanding’. In their report, the inspectors commented that pupils and staff ‘care deeply about each other and, as a result, pupils’ personal development and welfare are excellent’. Pupils were said to behave ‘impeccably’.

Many of the improvements at the school were credited to Head Teacher Claire Macfie who joined the school in 2016. Rating leadership and management as ‘Outstanding’, inspectors described Ms Macfie as an ‘inspirational headteacher [who] nurtures loyalty, respect and high expectations among staff and pupils’. They went on to say that ‘she has been a force for good both within the school and the local community’. Inspectors similarly praised the entire leadership team for having ‘one non-negotiable priority to improve the quality of education so that pupils achieve their best’.

Head Teacher Claire Macfie said:

‘Everyone at Wilberforce is thrilled with this report which recognises how far we have come over the past two years. We have wonderful teachers and support staff who have each played their part in transforming the school. The inspectors were full of praise for every aspect of our school and so each and every member of our staff can rightly take credit for the huge strides forward we have made.

‘We are particularly pleased that the inspectors were equally impressed with our extracurricular programme as they were with our curriculum. We take very seriously our commitment to provide our pupils with an Education with Character and so it is heartening that the inspectors could see the positive impact this is having on our pupils.

‘But above all, we are delighted that the inspectors found Wilberforce Primary to be a happy school. Together with our very supportive parents and local community, I have every confidence that we can continue to drive standards so that at the next inspection we are judged “Outstanding”’.

Darran Ellison-Lee, Primary Director of United Learning, said:

‘This is a hugely complimentary report which outlines a whole series of positive attributes which are now embedded within Wilberforce. There is some exceptional work underway at the school and it is not an overstatement to say that the school has been transformed over the past two years. It is never easy to move out of Special Measures within two years. To do so and go even further to receive an inspection as positive as this is exceptional.’

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